How to reduce your premium

Home insurance premiums are typically driven up by factors such as the location of your home, local crime levels and the risk of flooding risk or subsidence - things you can do little about. There are, however, a number of things you can do to make your property less of a risk, and therefore reduce the size of your premium, for comparatively small amounts of money.

Fire Alarms & Security Measures

Installing safety and security measures can help reduce your premium by offsetting the risk element of fire and theft. Insurers regard any window that can open to admit a human head as a potential security risk, so where possible, replace any windows, or install additional security locks such as limiters, which restrict the amount by which a window can be opened whilst still allowing for ventilation, should help to reduce your premium. Similarly, fixing morticed door bolts to the main entry points of your home will go some way to reducing the size of your quote.

Fitting burglar, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and having them checked regularly, and fitting improved window and door locks will reduce your risk of burglary and fire damage. Keeping high risk items such as jewellery in a secure location such as a safe will greatly reduce the risk of theft, and your premium will fall accordingly.

Protect Against Water Damage

Falling leaves during the autumn can clog up guttering which can lead to rainwater overflowing and seeping into the house, creating dampness within the walls which not only damages the integrity of your house, but also encourages the growth of fungi which causes wood to rot and poses a health risk. Paint, plaster and wallpaper also deteriorate as a result of seepage, and metal fastenings will rust. Make sure your guttering is properly cleaned out in the winter, to prevent any rainwater in the coming spring from getting into your house. As well as checking the guttering, you should also check your roof for any loose tiles as water can also enter your house this way - loose tiles also pose a danger to anyone passing by if they are blown off by strong winds.

To stop water from entering into your house via the roof perform a thorough check of it, look out for any loose or missing tiles as water may be able to enter in to your home this way or they may pose a danger to passers by.

If your house is particularly old, you may need to check to see if a damp-proof course/DPC - the non-permeable plastic layer at the foundation of the house which stops rising damp - has been correctly fitted. Most modern houses come with a DPC barrier layer already fitted. Your home insurance policy may provide cover for DPC replacement, as it is less costly for everyone concerned in the long run; if you take out home insurance from your mortgage lender, then it's a safe bet that cover for maintenance and repairs will be included - this should not dramatically effect your premium, as you are taking steps to lower a risk factor.

Trees & Foliage

Although they look relatively harmless, climbing plants such as certain types of ivy, can cause much more damage to a property than you might think. The roots of climbing plants can work their way into cracks in loose or weak mortar, and cause damage further up the wall as the plant grows. If your walls are solidly mortared, then climbing plants will not be so much of a problem - they may still grow on your house, but if their roots cannot interfere with the structure of your house then you should be OK - be sure to check buildings insurance policies with regard to whether cover for damage caused by plants is included.

Trees on your property present a more obvious danger and can cause a multitude of problems. Thought you will be covered in the event of a storm or lighting striking a tree and it or its branches falling onto your property and causing damage, if the tree falls down due to it being damage or rotting, then you may find yourself liable for the damage.

Some trees with long roots can interfere with the foundations of your house, so if you're planting a new tree, make sure you are aware of the maximum potential radius of the type of tree you are planting, and whether or not it will interfere with your existing foundations or any plans for extensions you might have in mind.

Pest Control & Infestations

Home insurance buyers should be mindful of pests and infestations, chiefly rats, mice and wasps. As we mentioned in the Buildings Insurance guide, rats represent not only a health risk to everyone living in your house, but are particularly dangerous in that they can start a fire by chewing through the insulation of power cables. Mice, squirrels and wasps are all very good at chewing through wood and will be more than happy to nest in a fully insulated loft - this compromises the integrity of your house, and should be dealt with quickly.

Wasps nests if they aren't too big are fairly easy to dispose of; wasp nest destroyer sprays and poisons are all readily available from DIY stores and mice can be usually gotten rid of with a few carefully positioned traps - of course if you have a pet cat, then the chances of infestation by rodents will be slimmer.

If you find any nests you should remove them and attempt to block up any holes to prevent the animals from getting back in. In the event of rats, it is probably best to call on the services of an exterminator to clear out the infestation for you.

Related Frequent Questions:

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• Additional Home Insurance Options